Cosmetic surgeries and procedures among youth in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study of undergraduate university students in the Eastern Province.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To assess the attitudes and acceptance of cosmetic surgeries and procedures among undergraduate university students in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, as well as the barriers against having cosmetic surgeries and procedures. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of undergraduate university students in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, during October 2020. The research instrument included the Attitudes towards Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS), sociodemographic data and perceived barriers towards cosmetic surgeries and procedures. A bivariate analysis was performed followed by a linear regression to account for confounders. RESULTS: A total of 1240 students participated in the study. The mean ACSS for cosmetic surgeries was 3.14 (±1.37 SD), and 3.25 (±1.49 SD) for cosmetic procedures. Older students, students with a history of previous cosmetic surgeries/procedures, and students with engineering specialties had more acceptance scores in both cosmetic surgeries and procedures. On the other hand, men, students belonging to a middle family income and students who perceived themselves to be aware of the risk associated with cosmetic surgeries/procedures had less acceptance scores. The most reported barrier to have cosmetic surgeries and procedures among students was feeling that they do not need it. CONCLUSION: The findings from the current study could help dermatologists, plastic surgeons and adolescent specialists wishing to recognise the rising interest in cosmetic surgeries and procedures in Arabic youth populations, the possible associated factors, as well as the barriers to have these surgeries and procedures. A further qualitative in-depth study to explore the acceptance is suggested.

Predominant learning approaches of medical students in Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: This study aims at identifying the predominant learning approaches by Saudi medical students across Saudi Arabia and assess its possible associations with sociodemographic and educational characteristics. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study design using the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students questionnaire. The questionnaire gives rise to three possible learning approaches; deep, strategic and surface approaches. Bivariate analyses were performed through independent samples t-test and χ2 tests where appropriate. A multinominal regression analysis was performed to obtain risk estimates and 95% CIs. RESULTS: A total of 3767 students participated and were included in the analysis. The predominant learning approach was the deep approach, followed by the strategic and surface approaches (40.59%, 37.81% and 21.60%, respectively). Males and students belonging to private medical schools were more likely to adopt a strategic rather than a deep one (relative risk ratio (RRR) 1.22, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.42 and RRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.65, respectively). Students with an A grade point average (GPA) were less likely to adopt a surface approach, whereas those with a C GPA were more likely to adopt it (RRR=0.67, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.83 and RRR=1.29, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.61, respectively). CONCLUSION: The findings from this study show that medical students predominantly favour the deep learning approach. Results from this study encourage the continuous adaptation of clinical teaching in medical schools to optimise students' learning experiences.

Knowledge and practice of preparticipation physical evaluation of Saudi primary care physicians in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) monograph is a vital resource for medical providers aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of athletes during sports participation by screening for injuries and disease risk factors. However, the concept of PPE is relatively new in Saudi Arabia, where primary care physicians (PCPs) often lack the proper training for it. This study's aim was to assess PCPs' knowledge and practice of PPE and identify associated factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A self-administrated web-based questionnaire was distributed to PCPs in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire covered the various aspects of PPE knowledge (including general principles, components, contraindications of sports participation, concerning history and physical findings, electrocardiography interpretations, and ethical considerations) as well as PPE practice. Initial treatment of data included descriptive statistics.; Chi-square tes or Fisher's exact test as, as appropriate, were used to determine association of knowledge and practices with various independent variables. RESULTS: Of the 240 contacted PCPs, 192 responded yielding a response rate of 80%; 50.5% had no prior PPE training. About 43% of the PCPs had not encountered PPE during their examination, but the remainder performed monthly PPE. Notably, 82.8% demonstrated a poor level of knowledge regarding PPE and only 43% had a satisfactory level of practice. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that a significant proportion of PCPs displayed poor knowledge of PPE and <½ of our sample showed satisfactory practice levels. Recommendations to establish the local guidelines regarding PPE for PCPs to follow should be emphasized and PPE training integrated into both undergraduate and postgraduate family medicine curricula. These measures are crucial for the enhancement of the safety of athletes in Saudi Arabia.

Internet gaming disorder: Its prevalence and associated gaming behavior, anxiety, and depression among high school male students, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Video games have become popular in the last few decades, resulting in an increase in reported negative consequences. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of internet gaming disorder (IGD), its association with gaming behavior, depression, and anxiety in male high school students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved male high school students in Dammam. Schools were selected using stratified random sampling, and data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data analyzed using SPSS v23.0; the initial analysis included descriptive statistics. Continuous and ordinal variables were compared using t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, and ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriate; Chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated to determine the correlation between IGD score and depression and anxiety scores. RESULTS: A total of 726 high school gamers were involved, 87% of whom were Saudi, with a mean age of 16.92 years and 45% were from public schools. The mean IGD score was 18.12, and the prevalence of IGD was 21.85%. Students who spent ≥4 h/day on weekdays or ≥6 h/day at weekends on videogames and gamers who spent ≥200 Saudi Riyals per month on gaming had significantly higher mean IGD scores (P < 0.001). Gamers who used PC/laptop for gaming had significantly higher IGD scores compared to those who used other devices (P = 0.002). Action, fight, open-world games, and games with violence were associated with significantly higher IGD scores. Among students with IGD, 21.7% had moderately severe/severe depression and 11.4% had severe anxiety. CONCLUSION: IGD is a concerning psychiatric disorder in male high school students. It is associated with certain gaming behavior and other mental problems. We recommend future larger-scale research that includes females as well.

Clinical, Laboratory, and Ultrasound Related Diagnoses of Thyroid Disorders: Using a Family Medicine Center Data to Assess Thyroiditis and Thyroid Nodules in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of thyroid disorders is high in Saudi Arabia. Among the disorders, goiter and thyroiditis are the most common and have unique ultrasound (US) features, underscoring the need for US screening for thyroid pathologies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of thyroiditis and thyroid nodules in patients attending the Family and Community Medicine Center of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. METHODS: This registry-based cross-sectional study analyzed laboratory and US data from 240 patients who attended the Family and Community Medicine Center of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University from January 2020 to December 2021. Abnormalities of the thyroid gland were categorized according to laboratory and US data. Associations between different types of thyroid pathology and clinical and laboratory findings were assessed using appropriate statistical methods. RESULTS: The majority of participants were Saudi women. The prevalence of thyroiditis in the study population was 43%. Approximately 25% of these patients had more than 1 nodule, and fine-needle aspiration biopsy showed that most nodules were benign. Most nodules were found in clinically euthyroid patients. Thyroiditis might be associated with abnormal thyroid function. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroiditis and thyroid nodules were common in our cohort. Vitamin D deficiency, other autoimmune diseases, and a family history of thyroid disorders were associated with thyroiditis and thyroid nodules. US is useful for identifying the type of thyroid disease.

Factors associated with Achilles tendon pain in cyclists in eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Cyclists are predisposed to different types of injuries whose patterns and distribution change over time. During bicycling, the high demand on lower extremities to produce speed places high load on the legs resulting in overuse injuries of which pain in the Achilles tendon is one. This study assessed Achilles tendon pain in cyclists in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of active cyclists in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using validated and pretested web-based self-administered questionnaire. Of the 511 cyclists invited, 311 completed the questionnaire yielding 60.62% response rate. SPSS was used for data entry and analysis. Descriptive statistics included calculation of frequencies and percentages for categorical variables, and median, mean and standard deviation for continuous variables. Chi-square test measured the associations between Achilles pain and various risk factors. Student's t-test, or Mann-Whitney test as appropriate, was used to compare continuous variables. RESULTS: Ten percent of mature and 9.1% professional cyclists reported that they had Achilles tendon pain. The pain was reported by significantly higher proportion of cyclists who raced (25%) and cyclists who rode mountain bicycles off-road (60.0%); average duration of the Achilles tendon pain was 7 days. Of the cyclists who had Achilles tendon pain, 32.1% reported that the pain increased when they were in running load and 28.6% reported increased pain in cycling load. Most cyclists described the pain as mild (67.9%) and moderate (32.1%). Overweight and underweight cyclists reported significantly higher rates of Achilles tendon pain (60% and 12.5%) compared to other body mass index classes. CONCLUSION: Achilles tendon pain commonly affects both amateur and professional cyclists. The study underpins the importance of a gradual increase in the training load, proper conditioning, bike fitting, and the maintenance of ideal body weight of cyclists to prevent Achilles tendon pain.

Knee problems and its associated factors among active cyclists in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Bicycling is one of the most enjoyable aerobic exercises recommended for the promotion of an individual's health. The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia has seen a huge increase in the number of people who cycle. People have different goals for bicycling, but the injuries they sustain are common. Most of them relate to overuse, particularly of lower body joints. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of knee problems and factors associated with knee pain in cyclists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2015, using an online self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on pertinent literature, was piloted, and validated. A web link was sent to 513 cyclists (professional and amateur) using E-mail, WhatsApp application, or SMS. Three hundred and eleven responses were received, 283 of which were included in the analysis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of knee pain was 25.8%; 27.6% for amateur cyclists and 15.9% for professional cyclists. Only 17.2% knee pain was attributed to cycling, whereas in 32.8% it happened spontaneously and in 25% of cases it occurred while running. Majority of the cyclists reported pain as mild (61.6%) or moderate (28.7%); anterior knee pain accounted for 58.1% knee pain. Different goals of cycling and different bicycle types had statistically significant difference on the rate of knee pain. Of underweight cyclists, 62.2% reported knee pain. Cyclists who run more or participated in football had a higher rate of pain. CONCLUSION: Knee injuries are common with cyclists. Factors such as the type of the bicycle, the goal of bicycling, club type, body mass index, and participation in other sports play a significant role in the rate of knee pain.